The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a resolution on Wednesday, strongly rejecting and condemning recent acts of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden. The resolution garnered support from 28 countries, while 12 nations voted against it, and seven countries abstained.
India, among the supporters, voted in favor of the resolution adopted by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Following is the list of countries that voted in favor of the UNHRC resolution against Quran burning.
- Algeria
- Argentina
- Bangladesh
- Bolivia
- Cameroon
- China
- Cuba
- Eritrea
- Gabon
- Gambia
- India
- Ivory Coast
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Morocco
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Senegal
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Sudan
- Ukraine
- UAE
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
Countries that abstained, opposed UNHRC resolution
It is noteworthy that the United States and the European Union were among the countries that opposed the UNHRC resolution. Following is the list of countries that opposed the UNHRC resolution.
- Belgium
- Costa Rica
- Czech Republic
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Romania
- UK
- US
The countries that abstained are
- Benin
- Chile
- Georgia
- Honduras
- Mexico
- Nepal
- Paraguay
The draft resolution was brought by Pakistan on “behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation” as well as by the State of Palestine.
What UNHRC resolution states?
It urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and all relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council, within their respective mandates, to “speak out against advocacy of religious hatred, including acts of desecration of sacred books that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, and contribute to the process of examination of gaps in national laws, policies and practices and recommend redressal measures”.
It called upon States to examine their national laws, policies and law enforcement frameworks with a view to identifying gaps that may impede the prevention and prosecution of acts and advocacy of religious hatred that constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence, and to take immediate steps to plug those gaps.
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the debate on the topic was prompted by recent incidents of burning of the Quran, which is the core of faith for well over a billion people.
“These and other incidents appear to have been manufactured to express contempt and inflame anger; to drive wedges between people; and to provoke, transforming differences of perspective into hatred and, perhaps, violence.
Turk underlined that many societies are struggling with the weaponisation of religious differences for political purposes. “We must not allow ourselves to be reeled in and become instrumentalised by these merchants of chaos for political gain these provocateurs who deliberately seek ways to divide us,” he said.
Burning of Quran in Sweden sparks anger, condemnation
The act of burning the Quran by an Iraqi Christian immigrant in Stockholm, Sweden, during the festival of Eid al-Adha last month, has sparked widespread anger and condemnation across the Islamic world.
Turkey denounced the act as heinous. The incident has come at a time when Sweden is still seeking Turkey’s backing to join the NATO. The bid has still been blocked by the Turkish government, which accuses Sweden of supporting anti-Ankara groups.
Last month, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish Ambassador in Amman in protest of the incident in Stockholm.
Protests are also held in Sweden. Recently, thousands of protestors gathered in central Stockholm to protest against the incident. The gathering took place on a square near a mosque where an individual set a copy of the Quran ablaze on June 28.
